Compromising
by Asymptote898
Summary: Win four badges, or win four contests. That didn't sound so hard. She'll do it all quickly, get back home, and forget it ever happened. It'll be easy, right? Too bad nothing in life is ever easy.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Hahaha! I wish.**

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I never really wanted to be a trainer. It had never been one of my ambitions, nor did it appeal to me in any way.

Sure, I didn't mind Pokémon, but I'd always preferred them how my parents had them- as pets. Which, considering how I lived in Littleroot Town, home of Professor Birch himself, was quite odd. I just never had the motivation for it, nor did I understand the value of going on a journey.

Why should I have to subject myself to uncomfortable nights shivering in a sleeping bag when I could live in a nice warm house? Why should I have to put myself at risk just to journey around the world? My dad gladly drove mom and I around when his job called for it.

Why should I have Pokémon at all? I didn't need one. Most Pokémon preferred being able to battle and travel around, what good would it do them if they sat around the house? My parent's Pokémon were entertaining enough for me.

Besides, I would be a horrible trainer. I mean, I took the basic classes in school, learning type advantages and battle basics, but that was where my interest ended. I didn't want to have a loyal partner, I didn't want to have to deal with training up a Pokémon. I would leave that to aspiring 'Pokémon Champions'.

So, when I was forced to pick between two very undesirable choices, I was thrown into a new world. One that started out as a vortex of confusion and worry, and ended with triumph and a new outlook on life in general.

Basically, I was forced to actually gain some life experience.

My name is Maddie Martins, and this is how my life actually began.

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**Short, but it's a prologue.**

**The next chapter won't be in first person like this chapter. I hate writing in first person.  
**

**Edited some minor things on 10/17/13**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Ahahahahahahahaha! No.**

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Something was poking at her side, prodding at her with a gentle firmness that suggested that it would not be so gentle for much longer. "Maddie." a soft voice said, carefully coaxing her to consciousness.

She let out a low groan, trying burrow deeper into reassuring warmth and darkness. "Urkg." she grumbled out, grimacing at the sensation of her face pressing against something hard and flat.

She had a few seconds of blissful relaxation before- "Maddie." there it was again, and she firmly ignored it. The finger was back as well, poking the soft flesh on her side incessantly, forcing her to resist the urge to squirm away.

Rolling over, Maddie heard something thump to the ground -most likely a book- and let out an annoyed huff. "No." Laying her head on her soft pillow, she sighed in contentment.

"Maddie, you need to wake up." properly conscious now, she could recognize the irritating voice, belonging to her mother. No doubt Maddie had accidentally slept in. Again.

"No." she repeated, staying stubbornly still. She'd gone to sleep late and she would sleep in late to recover from it, thank you very much.

"Madeline Martins, wake up!" And, her mother had just gone from firm to angry.

"Why?" she asked unhappily, opening her eyes and blinking blearily. She made a quick mental note to avoid future occurrences of late night to early morning reading. Feeling this exhausted upon waking could not be good.

"It's already ten, do not make me get Ripper." her mom threatened.

Maddie sat up with a jolt, scrambling out of her bed and falling on the ground with a loud thump. She pushed herself up to a sitting position shakily. "Hoh...god." she gulped, putting a hand to her chest and slowly standing up, sending her mom a brief glare. "That was just _mean_."

Cassandra Martins smirked down at her daughter, folding her arms smugly. "It got you up, didn't it?"

She gave her mother a furious look. "Threatening me with Ripper though, was that really necessary?"

Ripper, like all of Maddie's mother's Pokémon, was large and intimidating. It really didn't help that he had an annoying fondness for blasting water at people. Being the youngest sibling of three large and scary brothers, her mother had developed a, quite frankly, moderately horrifying love for what her father called 'fierce' Pokémon. Ripper, her favorite -though she'd never admit it- was a rather scary Feraligatr.

Maddie's father however, did not share her mother's fondness, and had an assortment of Pokémon. If she had to use one word to describe his Pokémon, it would be calm. They were all gentle and mild tempered, for which Maddie was very grateful.

"He wouldn't have hurt you." Cassandra insisted.

"No," Maddie agreed, bending down to pick up the book that had fallen. "But I'd prefer not to get soaked with freezing cold water. At least not this soon after waking up."

She wiped the cover of the book absently, making a low noise of discontent at a folded page, trying to straighten it.

Peering at the book's title, Cassandra rolled her eyes. "I wish you'd stop reading that garbage."

"It's not garbage!" she protested, abandoning the folded page and closing the book, cuddling it close to her chest. "They're great books."

"I don't like you reading books like that, Maddie." Cassandra said. "Why can't you read normal books?" She pointed at Maddie's white bookshelf. "There are tons of good books to read, why do you have to read those ones?"

"They're interesting!" Maddie insisted. "People always write books with Pokémon, so what if one guy writes about worlds that don't have them."

"I still don't like it." Cassandra sniffed. "It's not normal."

"You don't have too." she pointed out sharply. "I'm the one who bought them, I'm the one who enjoys them."

Cassandra just rolled her eyes again. "Fine, just come downstairs. Your dad and I need to talk to you."

"Uh oh." Maddie said quietly, making a face as she placed her book on her bedside table. "Do I want to have this conversation?"

"Probably not." her mother said honestly, straightening the red shirt Maddie had slept in. "But it's one that needs to happen."

"Can I have a shower first?" she asked, raking a hand through her hair, attempting to flatten the chunks that were currently defying gravity.

Deciding the shirt was good enough, Cassandra placed her hands on Maddie's shoulders, bending down to kiss her on the forehead. "Yeah, go on." she said, leaving the room.

Twenty minutes later, Maddie walked down the stairs, bright eyed, with fresh clothes and damp hair.

"So what was it you wanted to talk about?" she asked, following the low voices of her parents into the kitchen, where her father was nursing a large cup of coffee. Odd. He only did that when he was stressed.

Near the counter, Cassandra walked over to the kitchen table and tapped something laying on the wood with her finger. "It's about this."

Brows furrowing, Maddie tentatively walked up to the table and peered at the object, noticing that it appeared to be some sort of card. She slid it towards her, wincing at the sharp plastic screech it made against the wood, and her eyes widened. "This is…!"

"A trainer's ID." Nathaniel, Maddie's father, finished for her. He placed his coffee mug on the table, folding his hands. Beside him, Cassandra sat down, tucking herself close to her husband.

"Why would you waste money on getting me something I don't need?" she asked blankly, picking up the ID and glaring at the small picture on the front. It was her, smiling calmly, as if the picture wasn't plastered to something life ruining.

Sharing a look with Cassandra, Nathaniel took a deep breath and addressed his irate teenager. "Because you're going to need it."

"Really?" Maddie asked, giving him a challenging look. "Why would I need it? I'm not a Pokémon trainer."

"You're sixteen years old, I think it's time you actually did something with your life." Cassandra said.

"I have a job!" Maddie protested, feeling a little desperate. She could feel the creeping sensation of dread sliding up her back and settling in her chest. It was heavy, and frightening. "Sure, it's not great, but at least it's something."

Nathaniel rubbed a hand against his forehead. "Look, I know you don't like Pokémon. I understand that-"

"Really? Because it doesn't seem like that to me!" Maddie burst out, giving her parent's a pleading look. "I don't want to be a trainer."

Cassandra sighed. "Maddie…I see you go to work, come home and go to bed. Sometimes your read, but mostly you spend all your time doing nothing. You're like a robot, you do everything you need to, then shut down."

Maddie scoffed, throwing the ID on the table and crossing her arms. "So?" she bit out, feeling defensiveness rise up, unbidden.

Cassandra leaned forwards and tilted her head to the side, forcing eye contact with her daughter as she spoke. "That's not healthy, sweetie. Don't you think maybe...this could be good for you?"

Maddie threw up her hands. "How?"

"Sweetie…" Cassandra tried.

"No! Don't!" Maddie held up a hand to stop her mother, blinking heard. She couldn't think, couldn't breath. "I can't believe you'd…" she broke off, unable to collect her thoughts.

Sighing in defeat, Maddie licked her lips and swallowed, trying to think. "What if…" she bit her lip, considering. "What if I said no?"

Cassandra fixed her with a glare that told Maddie that her mother's next words would be utterly serious. "You'll be going to your cousin's."

Maddie's mouth dropped open, horrified. "You can't be serious! With _him_?" she looked at her dad desperately. "Daddy?"

Nathaniel coughed, feeling the weight of both his wife and daughters gaze. "Uh, well," he fiddled with his mug's handle, jumping when he nearly knocked it over. "We just want what's best for you."

"But going with him…" Maddie protested.

"Or you could be a trainer." Cassandra interjected, with a shrug. "It's your choice."

Maddie rolled her eyes skyward, scoffing at the ceiling and plopping herself into a chair. "Is there a third option?" she asked.

"It's one or the other." Cassandra said firmly.

"What if I win one badge, then can I come home?" Maddie offered weakly.

"Eight." Cassandra said.

"_Eight_?" Maddie cried. "How about two?"

"Six!"

"Three!"

"Or, you could win a few contests." Cassandra offered.

"One contest." Maddie said sharply.

Nathaniel banged his fist on the table, shocking Maddie and his wife into silence. "If I could interrupt your…bartering," he said. "Can I offer a compromise?"

"Compromise?" Cassandra asked, raising an eyebrow. "There's a compromise to this?"

"Oh, this I gotta hear." Maddie snorted, folding her arms and scowling.

"Maddie wins four gym battles, or four contests." Nathaniel offered. "And she has to show us the badges or ribbons. Then she can come home." he shot Cassandra a conspiring look and added. "If she wants."

Maddie opened her mouth to protest, the paused. That was actually…not so bad. She didn't want to have to compromise to anything, but surely just four badges or contests couldn't be that bad, right?

"Fine." she said airily, uncrossing her arms and holding her hand out to her parents. "Four badges or contests. I'll do it."

Cassandra clasped her daughters hand and shook it, letting Nathaniel place his hand on top of their handshake, adding a touch of finality to their agreement. "I still think we're being too easy on you." she admitted, looking at Maddie. "My dad would have just handed me a backpack and pointed to the road."

"Thank you for giving me a choice." Maddie said, releasing her hand from her mothers. "I still don't like it, but… Thank you."

Cassandra nodded. "You're welcome." she reached a hand out and touched Maddie's cheek. "Hey, I know you don't like it, but we just don't want you missing out on something that could be really good for you."

Maddie nodded, looking down. "So," she said, tracing random designs on the smooth surface of the kitchen table. "How am I gonna be a trainer when I don't have a Pokémon?"

"Well…"

* * *

"You talked to Professor Birch?" she asked incredulously, walking along the path with her mother.

"Yes, this morning." Cassandra answered casually. She walked briskly, intent on her destination. "He said to stop by."

"Really?" Maddie asked, nearly tripping over her feet as she gaped at her mom's back. "And he's just gonna hand over one of his special starters?" That was...very surprising. The wait list to get a starter was incredible.

"I'm assuming." Cassandra said. "He did sound a little distracted."

She continued to gape. "But they cost a lot of money if you don't sign up for the starter program!"

"Your dad can pay." Cassandra said, uncaring, as she walked past houses and a few family-owned businesses.

A few minutes later, Maddie was staring at the entrance to Birch's lab, feeling apprehension rise up and squeeze her heart. She didn't want to go in. She absolutely did not want to go in, she wanted to run away and never look back.

"Well don't just stand there gawking, let's go!" Cassandra barked, startling Maddie out of her thoughts. Rolling her eyes, she walked up to the door and rapped on the wood sharply, absently noticing her daughter walking up just behind her.

The door opened, and a nervous looking bespectacled man peeked his head out. "O-oh! You must be Professor's guest. He said you might drop by." he gave both females a tremulous smile.

Maddie smiled back, if somewhat hesitantly. "Um… So can we go in?" and Cassandra nodded in agreement with her words, looking at the man expectantly.

"Yes!" the man squeaked, jerking the door open clumsily. He adjusted his glasses as they slipped down his nose, looking harried. "He's in his lab, as usual. You know where?" he asked Cassandra.

Cassandra gave the man a nod. "Yes."

They walked inside, Maddie curiously looking around at the various lab aides moving about, holding files of some sort. The didn't seem terribly busy, however, which meant that this months trainers had already received their starters.

"Well Maddie," Cassandra said, stopping and turning to look down at her daughter. "This is it."

Maddie blinked. "Wait. You're not coming with me?"

"Oh no," her mother said at once, shaking her head. "No. This is something you should do on your own, I think."

"Oh…" Maddie looked down, biting her lip. She had a point, after all. A sixteen year old didn't need her mother to hold her hand anymore. "I'll see you later, then."

Cassandra gave Maddie an encouraging smile and ran her fingers through her daughters short locks, ruffling them. "You'll be fine. I'll wait outside for you, okay?"

"Hey!" Maddie yelped, shoving her Cassandra's arm away from her. She anxiously flattened her hair, glaring sourly at her mother. "Just go." she huffed.

Giggling, Cassandra gave Maddie a cheeky smile. "There's my daughter, my feisty little pouter."

Scowling, she shoved her mom away. "Go!" Maddie barked.

Letting Cassandra's laugh follow her from behind, Maddie walked down a hallway to Birch's lab. She cringed at every echo her footsteps created, feeling like she was walking down a hallway to her doom.

This was it. These next few moment's were going to changer her life forever. She would own a Pokémon, something she never thought would happen. Was she ready for it?

She really didn't think so.

The doors to the lab were a plain white, and oddly innocent looking. Not intimidating like Maddie thought they'd be. Taking a deep breath, Maddie pushed one of the doors open, stepping inside the brightly lit room.

Entering Birch's lab was, in a word, amazing. She'd been in the building before, but not the lab. There was a pleasant humming coming from the various machines, and Maddie couldn't help but marvel at it all.

Her eyes bugged out at the shelves of Poké Balls, each marked with either a raindrop symbol, a leaf symbol or a fire symbol. "Those must be for the trainers who took the Starter Program." Maddie said, examining the one of the balls with a water symbol.

"Yes, they are." said a voice behind her, and Maddie whirled around, nearly jumping to move away from the shelf, feeling oddly like she'd tried to take a cookie from her grandmother's favorite cookie jar.

"Professor Birch!" she blurted out, a small smile touching her lips at the familiar figure. She'd met him once, with the rest of her class, and had found the man odd, but kind.

"Maddie." he greeted, tilting his head at her in acknowledgement. "Your mother called, she was quite...demanding."

Maddie blushed, shifting guiltily. "Ah...sorry about that." she murmured. "And, uh, I hope you don't mind me being here, but the guy that let us in told me to come here." she babbled nervously, getting worse as Birch's small smile got wider.

"Oh no. It's no problem, my dear." the professor said, waving her ramblings away. He motioned for her to come. "I have another guest here you should meet."

Following Birch, she was taken to an office overflowing with various research papers, scattered around every surface. Maddie looked around in awe, feeling a ridiculous urge to organize it all. "Wow."

It was Birch's turn to blush. "Oh, right. Sorry about the mess." he said sheepishly.

She laughed softly. "It's fine."

Birch gave her a beaming smile. "Now, I'm sure you know this old man." he said, pointing across the room. "Samuel?"

Blinking curiously, Maddie followed Birch's pointed finger and peered across the room. Her jaw dropped suddenly, prompting two amused chuckled. "Professor Oak?" she squeaked, recognizing the familiar grey hair and severe eyebrows.

"Hello." Oak greeted, walking over slowly with his hands folded behind his back. "And who might you be?"

Maddie blinked dumbly at him for a few seconds before jolting herself out of her awe. "Oh. Wow, um. I'm Maddie, sir. Maddie Martins." she stuck out a hand, smiling nervously.

The legendary professor shook her hand, nodding. "Nice to meet you, miss." he turned to Birch, addressing him. "Now, what brings her to your lab today?"

"I came for a Pokémon." Maddie answered for him. "My mom told me to come."

Birch sighed, smiling fondly. "Ah, Cassandra." he shook his head. "That woman could take over the world if she wanted."

"Cassandra?" Oak interrupted. "Not little Cassandra, Elm's star trainer." he said incredulously.

"Yes, that would be her." Birch answered. "One of the worlds finest Pokémon trainers, even if she never battled in the Pokémon League."

"I had no idea she's moved to Hoenn, she always loved Johto." Oak said.

"She met my dad." Maddie put in, rocking back on her heels. "She decided that home would be wherever he was."

Oak nodded. "Yes, well, love will do that." he said wistfully, looking even more aged than usual. "I do hope she's taking care of her Pokémon…?"

She nodded quickly. "Yep, never lets them stay in their balls for long. They get plenty of exercise and attention."

"Wonderful! It would be a shame for such fine Pokémon to stay cooped up in their Poké Balls for too long." Oak laughed, then turned to Birch. "Now, you were saying?"

"Yes," Birch blinked, organizing his thoughts. "Right! As I was saying, your mother was very persuasive, but she didn't give me a chance to speak." he looked down at Maddie and seemed to sag slightly. "I can't give you a starter, they've all been reserved for the next few months."

"O-oh." Maddie blinked, looking down. She took a deep breath, waving away the little bit of disappointment trying to rise up, giving way for excitement. "Well, I guess I'll have to tell mom the bad news!" she announced cheerfully, turning to leave.

"Wait!" Birch called, putting a finger to his chin. "Surely we could think of something." he huffed, scratching his brown beard.

"Well, you can't give her any of your research Pokémon, they're too wild for a starting trainer." Oak protested, just as Birch seemed to light up with an idea.

Birch deflated, smile drooping. He gave Oak they side-eye, glaring at him petulantly. "I seem to remember you giving a young trainer a rather wild Pikachu a while back…"

"That was different." Oak said, his turn to protest. "The Pokémon you have in the lab right now are not the type you'd give to a beginner trainer."

Maddie, seemingly forgotten at the moment, looked from professor to professor, feeling out of place. Was she getting a Pokémon or not? "Um…" she said softly.

Both Pokémon experts froze, looking sheepish at acting so unprofessional.

Oak coughed, straightening his back military style. "Well, what to do about your problem…"

"Maybe I could catch one for her…" Birch mused. "No, that's something she should do herself…" he broke off in a series of unintelligible mutters.

"I've got it!" Oak said, snapping a finger.

Maddie turned to him expectantly, eyes wide. "You have an idea?" Birch echoed her sentence seconds after, staring at his colleague with the same level of expectancy.

Professor Oak walked over to Birch's PC, logging on and tapping a few keys. "Yesterday, one of my lab aides discovered a Poké Ball. One that was found in a very...unusual place." he explained vaguely.

"Unusual?" Maddie repeated. "Unusual how?"

Oak seemed to stiffen, and Maddie could almost see waves of pure rage pulse out of the professor's being. "It was found in a trash can." he said through gritted teeth.

Birch made a disgusted noise, shaking his head. Maddie looked at the researchers in horror. "What? Who would do something like that?" she gasped, feeling sympathy and protectiveness swirl around her gut at the plight of the poor Pokémon.

"Unfortunately, it happens more often than you'd think." Birch said bitterly.

"Sometimes, from either unrealistic expectations or laziness, trainers will abandon their Pokémon." Oak explained fiercely. "Instead of doing the proper thing, they get rid of them. Like they don't matter, like they're just tools."

Abandonment. Maddie knew that word. It was the universal term that went hand in hand with 'weak' Pokémon. But she'd never thought that someone would actually throw a Pokémon in the trash. There was a big chance that it would have never been discovered.

"Horrible…" Maddie mumbled. She felt terrible for the unnamed Pokémon. How long had it been there, waiting for someone that might never come? Was it okay? ...Was abandonment the worst thing it faced, or were there worse things?

"It is." Birch agreed. "If I ever meet a trainer who would dare to do such a thing…" he broke off, making a fist unconsciously.

Oak patted Birch's shoulder, then turned back to Maddie. "Which is why, if you want this Pokémon, you have to agree to a condition."

Swallowing down nervousness, she nodded determinedly. "What is it?"

"Never, ever, abandon a Pokémon." Oak said severely. "Not this one, or any other you might catch."

Birch nodded to his colleagues words. "There's nothing wrong with releasing a Pokémon, but abandoning it is the worst thing you could do. It can cause permanent psychological damage, even leading them to attack people."

Maddie nodded again. Considering their words seriously. While she certainly didn't want to do this whole trainer thing, she didn't want to hurt anybody, especially a Pokémon. She grew up with them, she knew the value of having a friend.

"I won't." she vowed. "I promise never to abandon a Pokémon."

Oak smiled brightly. "Good, good." and with that, he tapped a few more keys on the PC and the machine buzzed loudly.

Stepping back as the PC started to move, shining brightly, Maddie watched a a Poké Ball was transferred to Birch's study. Oak grabbed the ball, enlarging it and handing to Maddie's shaking hand.

"So, this Pokémon, if it was abandoned…" she swiped her tongue over her bottom lip. "It must be weak, right?"

Birch gave Maddie a look that could only be called ugly. "Is that a problem?" he asked stiffly.

"No, no!" she reassured. "I just- I was just asking-! I didn't mean to-!" Maddie babbled, gripping the Poké Ball tightly.

Professor Oak took pity on Maddie. "It's fine, Birch." he said calmly, and faced Maddie. "Yes, the Pokémon would be considered weak, but don't let that stop you."

"I know." Maddie said, looking down at the red and white ball. "I was just curious…"

"You know, I once watched a Pichu take down a Steelix." Birch said suddenly, smiling at the memory.

"Really?" she asked incredulously. "How?"

"Because the trainer and the Pichu knew how to work together, because they got strong together." Birch answered. "The weakest Pokémon in the world can become the strongest, with enough training."

Maddie nodded. "Like Magikarp." she said. "They start off weak, and end up being a ferocious Gyarados."

Birch laughed. "That's it exactly!" he said proudly. "Now, are you gonna look at your Pokémon or what?"

She blinked, looking down at the ball in surprise. She had forgotten all about it! "Oh, right." Maddie said quietly.

What Pokémon would it be? Would it be male? Female? Was it going to be kind, or mean? What type of Pokémon was it? Where did it come from? If Professor Oak had it, it was probably something from the Kanto region, but that still didn't narrow it down enough for a guess. Only one way to find out…

Maddie tentatively pressed the button in the center, throwing the ball through the air. "Go!"

The ball opened, white light filling the room as the Pokémon materialized.

She stared down at her new Pokémon, hardly daring to believe it was hers. She had a Pokémon, a real live Pokémon!

Maddie observed it intently, taking in it's cute little feet and curious red eyes. "Hello." she greeted cautiously.

The Pokémon stiffened, puffing up slightly as it took on a more defensive position. "Oooooddish! Oddish, odd!"

Oh boy...

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**Please review if you can, I wanna know what you think!**


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